Ultralight Helicopter Crashes Into Ashland Reservoir

ASHLAND (CBS) – An ultralight pilot crashed into the Ashland Reservoir Wednesday afternoon. Pilot David Diana was not injured. Several hours after the crash, divers pulled the ultralight out; it was still intact.

“There was no place to go. So I got it over the trees and dropped it in the water,” David Diana said.

His 200-pound ultralight helicopter went down near boater Tim Newman and his three kids.

Ultralight helicopter pulled from Ashland Reservoir (WBZ-TV)

“I put it in reverse as quick as I could and went over there and he popped up from the water,” said Tim Newman.

“I was swimming over. I had my helmet still on and fully clothed, and I was like thank God,” said Diana.

“For whatever reason, we got here late. But I am glad because there was no one else around. There were some people in tubes, but they couldn’t have gotten to him,” said Newman.

Crews lift ultralight helicopter from Ashland Reservoir (WBZ-TV)

First responders arrived in less than ten minutes. By then the ultralight was already invisible under the water. They said Diana was very lucky.

Diana said he has flown about every day for the past year-and-a-half. He took off from the Marlborough airport, flew over his house in Hopkinton as he usually does, but a short time later he lost power.

Pilot David Diana’s helicopter crashed into the Ashland Reservoir (WBZ-TV)

“It was annoying that I wasn’t over a field or something because I could have landed, had no problem,” said Diana. “You’re always looking for a place if you have engine problem to land, so unfortunately this was the only place.”

The Ashland Reservoir is not a drinking water supply. Officials said the ultralight had less than five gallons of fuel and none of that spilled.